Electric time-switch.



PATBNTEDTEB. Z8, 1905.

No. 'mx/11.

o. J. SULLIVAN. ELBGTRJLG TIME SWITGH. APPLICATION FILED OOT.10,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

G. J. SULLIVAN.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLIQATION FILED 00T. 10.1904.

Aa SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 783,711. PATBNTED 113B. 2&1, 1905. o. J. 311111111111. ELEGTRIG TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 10. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' other end.

i UNITEDl STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC TIME-SWITCH.

S'EECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,711, dated February 28, 1905. i Application iiled October 10, 1904. Serial No. 227.811.

have invented certain new and useful Improve'- ments inY Electric Time-Switches; and l do hereby decla-re the following to be a full, clear,

and exact `description of the same.

My invention relates to the classof time-con- IO trolled electric switches or circuit-breakers.

The object of. my invention. is to provide simple and effective means for turning on and oli" electric lights at predetermined times, to which end my invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, which I shall now'fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which .Figure 1 is a frontviewof my time-switch. v Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the `clock end of the device. Fig. 4 is an end view looking from the switch end. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the setting disks and dial. Fig. 6 is a face view of the dial, showing the arrangement of its figures. Fig. 7 a detail plan view of the controlling devices of the crank 9. F ig. 8 is a detail of the back (if thcdrop-arm guides, showing the cross-pin 21. Figs. 9 and 10 are details showing the twopositions of the rock;

arm 6 as controlled by the crank 9. Fig. 11 is a view, partly broken, of thc top of one of the mercury-tulms 2.

1 is an electric switch or circuit-breaker.

, This may he of any suitable character adapted to close and open an electric circuit. The form here shown consists ot' vmercury-containing tubes 2, suitably connected with the binding-posts 3 of the circuit. Into the mercury dip (throlnH i a suitable top guide, as sccn in Fig. ll) lo close the circuit, and said rods are adapted tohe lifted from the :ercury to open th(l circuit. 'lhe rods 4 are carried by `4 0 in the tuhtho copper rods 4 are adapted to a cross-head 5,' which is itself carried upc! .one end of a rock-arm (i, pivoted to a bracket i' and carrying acounterbalance-weight at its The rod-carrying end of the arm is the heavier, so that the rodsdipinto the meri :l 1 and 2, suitably mounted to rotate.

l cury by gravity, the weight 8 being only suiiicient to prevent a too rapid descent ofthe rods, thereby 'avoiding splashing of the mercury.

The rock-arm 6 is controlled by a crank Si, which bears upon it between its fulcrum and weight, Figs. 2 and 4. The crank 9 is connected with a' shaft 10. mounted in a frame fected by a spring 12, acting,r through a geartrain 13, Figs. 1 and 7. 'lhc rotation oi' the shaft is controlled by a'cross-arm 14 on its vother end, which cngagesa catch 15. The engagement of the cross-arm with the catch is such as to permit said arm when released to positions of said arm and the controllingcrank 9 are such that with each half-revolution of the arm the crank is turned alternately to its highest` and lowest. positions, as seen in Figs. 9 "and 10. When at its highest position, .the rock-arm 6 is allowed by gravity-to swing breaker dip into the mercury and the circuit is closed. Wlien, however, the crank .l is at its lowest position, it presses down upon the rock-arm 6, and thereby lifts the rods 4 from the mercury and opens the circuit.

A suitable key 16, Fig. 1, is provided to wind up the spring 12 as required. The catch 15 is a swinging catch pivoted in a bracket 17 and controlled by a spring 1 8. It is 'so arranged as to be' withdrawn from under the end lug 19 of thi arm 14 in order to tripsaid arm and to again protrude to catch .the'othcr end Tug oi said arm and limit the half-turn. h'lhe catch l.15 has a stem 20, provided with a cross-pin 21,'which when forced trip the arm.

The means for effecting the timely trip of said arm will now he described.

(i0 is a clock mechanism noi-.ding neither detailed description no r illustration. Upon itshour-hand sleeve 22 is a pinion L3. which meshes with a pinion 24- upon a shaft 25, Figs. Upon this shalt is a dial 2li, properly inscribed to indicate time. lioosely mounted upon the shaft 25 and frictionally held to the huh oll down causes the withdrawal ol' the catch to have a half-revolution only, and the relative 11, the axial rotation of said shaft being cfl .'10 up to it. so that the rods 4 of the circuit' the'dial, as is shown in Figs; 1 and 5, is the scttingldisk 27, which carries a pointer 23,

projecting toward the dial to indicate the ti me set. This disk turns with thel shaft and dial by reason of its frictional engagement, but is adapted to be independently rotated by hand in order to set its pointer to the proper time. The setting-disk 27 carries a cam 29 of a Silitahlc character, here shown as a bent portionof its periphery. 'l.`he. periphery of the disk plays in a forked extremity 30 of a lever 31,

- stem of the catch 15, heretofore described.

vas

The operation of these parts will now be un-' derstood. When at rest, the drop-arm 37 is held upright by its catch 38 resting on the outer Stop 33 o f the lever 31, Figs. 2 and 3; but'when the cam 29 of the setting-disk 27 enters the forked end 30 of the lever 31 it -swings said lever in such manner that the outer stop 33 of the lever moves from 'under the drop-arm catch 438, 4which immediately falls lightly upon the inner stop 34. As the cam advancesthrough the forked end of the lever 31 the latter' Ais swungba'ck again, causing the stop 34 to remove from the drop-arm catch 38, and said drop-arm being nowentirely' free drops down by gravity upon, the crosspin 21, and therebyv releases the catch 15.

The resetting of the drop-arm 37 is automatic and is accomplished as follows: The arm 14, whichis controlled by Athe catch 15, as heretofore described, has its ends provided with-two lugs 19', Fig. 7, which project in adirection opposite to the direction of the lugs 19.-`

Tliese lugs 19 lie in lthe patho'i' movement of the drdp-arm 37.. The catch 33 of the droparm is a pivoted gravity-catch adapted to yield in passingup under the stop 33 and to return after passing said stop to engage it.l New, as just htated, thely lever 31 having beenswung backv to normal position in releasing the catch 38- o the drop-arm the outer stop of said lever' is thus. Iin its first L(ir normal position. The instantv the drop-arm through contact with the cross-pin 21 effects the removal of the catch 15 from the lug 19 o'f' the arm 14,

-thereby permittingthe hal f -revolution of said arm 14,said arm 1-1in revolving brings one of its other end lugs, 19', np into Contact with the drop-arm 37 and throws saiddrop-arm up 'with sufficient force to canse it to reach its upper limit against a suitable head 4() of its guide. ln reaching this limit its catch 38 passes by thc outer stop 33 of the lever 31, and the arm rebounding` from the head 4() of the guide the catch 38 comes to its lirst engagement with the outer stop 33.

It the setting-disk 2T be. .regarded as the one to close the circuit, there' must now be described a second disk and mechanism to open the circuit. shaft 25 and frictionally held to the other face of the hub ol the dial 26 (which dial is4 tobe inscribed on both faces) is a second sett-ingdisk 41, having aA pointer 1 2 and a cam The cam engages the forked end L14 of a sec- As the hour-hand sleeve of an ordinary clockrevolves twicein twenty-"four hours an as it is desirable to rotate the dial 26 but once in that time, I properly proportion the pinions 23 and 24 to this end. This further enables mc to avoid any inaccuracy due to the inconvenience of seeing where to set the pointer if the hour wanted be at the time down in the lower and concealed part of the dial. As shown i in Fig. 6, I inscribe thcface of the dial in duplicate' in two semicircles of twelvev hours,

running from 1" to f 12 in eachdivision. In the setting-disks I'fix, a second pointer 61 diametrcally opposite the first pointer. 1f, therefore, the hour desired-'be ldown out of sight, I set-the disk by thesecond pointer to the corresponding hour'on the upper division, which is in plain sight, and thereby know that the first pointer is accurately set tothe proper hour below.

51 is a cushion for the end of the roclearm 6. 1n order to hold the device out of operation at or during any time desired, 1 have a catch 52, adapted to engage the end of the rockharm 6 and hold it down permanently, thereby keeping 'the circuit openas long as desired. This position is shown in Fig. 4.

A description of the complete operation of the device will now be of service.

In'the normal open-circuit condition of the Mounted freely upon the apparatus the switchrods4 are. held up out.

of the mercury by reason of the cranki), which in its lowest position is held pressed down upon the rock-arm .6, as in Fig. 9. Inthis position the cross-arm 14 is held by the catch 15, and the drop-arms 37 and 48 are held in an upright position. Suppose now that it be desired to close the circuit in order to start the lights at eight p. m. and that it be desired to open th'ecircuit in order to turn out the lights at tive a. m. The disk 27,'19, turned to cause its pointer toindicate. "eight p. m. on the dial 26, and thediskel'is set to in d icate the hour ot` live a. m. The clock being started, the cam 29 of disk QT will enter the i forked end of the lever 31 at eight p. in. lhc lever being thrown over and back 'again by said cam will release. the. drop-arm '37, which striking the cross-pin 21 will withdraw the catch 15 from the lug 19 of the cross-arm 11. lhe cross-arm 14 heing now released wili, under the power ot' the spring 12, instantly commence its partial rotation. Bythis rotation i the crank il is turned to its upper linut, as in Fig. 10, thereby releasing the rock-arm i3, which will .swing b v gravity to dip the rods i into the mercury, thereby closing the circuit Q and starting the lights. The arm 14 has meanwhile by one of its lugs 19' thrown the 1 drop-arm 37 up again to its normal position g with its catch 38 engaged by the stop 33 of l the leverA 31. Freed of the drop-arm the 'g spring-controlled catch has returned to i place in time to catch the opposite lug '19 of l the arm 14, whereby said arm is limited ati the end of the half-turn and held there, thusf holding the crankil up and allowing the switch to remain closed. Thgs the parts. will remain all night. At live a..m. the next morning the cam 43 of the disl41 enteringr the forked end of lever 45 `willgswing said lever over I and back, thereby releasing the drop-arm 48, which falling on the cross-pin Q1 willwvithdraw the catch 15 from the lug 19 of the crossi arm 14. Said arm will ,thereupon rotate and carry the crank J down to its lowest position, i which movement of the crank will press down f the rock-arm 6, thereby lifting the rodsft from the mercury to open the circuit and put out the lights. Meanwhile the opposite lug 1S) ot' i the arm 14 has thrown the drop-arm 48 back l again toits upright position, where it is held. and the catch 15 has caught and held the arm 4 -14 at its half-turn. lhis is the position tirst I assumed, and the apparatus is thus automatically reset. and without further attention will,operate again at the Astated times. An eight-day clock may thus be employed, and as long as the hours of operation remain thc i same thc-only attention required is to wind up the cloc'k to wind up the spring 12 and to an adjustable setting-disk carrying` said cam,

replenish the mercury as need'cd.

Having hns described my invention, `what l claim as new, and desire to sccurehy Letters Patent, is-

l. In'an electric time-switch, the combinav 5 tion of a circnit-brtaiker, an arm t'or opcratl ing; the same, a crank under normal rotary .pressure for controlling said arm, a cross-arm E for controlling said crank, a' catch for holdi ing and releasing said arm, and means for i tripping said catch al predctcrlnined tinics.

2. ln an electric. time-switch. the combinationoiI a circuit-lireaker, an arm for operating the saine. a crank under normal rotary l pressure for controlling said arm, across-arm i for controlling said crank, a catch for holding and releasing said arm, a drop-arm for i tripping said catch, a stop for holdingr said drop-arm and means for disengaging said stop at predetermined times.

3. Ln an electric tinie-s\.'itch, the combination of a circuit-lncakcr, an arm for operatprcssure for controlling said arin, a cross-arm for controlling said crank. a catch i'or holding and releasing said arm a drop-arm for (ripping said catch, a stop tor holding said drop-arm. means for disengaging said stop' at 7 predeterinimal times, and means conlrolhal by thc cross-arm i'or throwing said drop-arm up to its stop again.

4. ln an electric time-switch. the combinaing the sinne. a crank under normal rotary 7o tion of a circuit-hrealor, an arm for operat- 8o ing the same, a. crank under normal rotary pressure for controlling said arm, a cross-arm for controlling said crank, a catch for holding and releasing said arm, a drop-arm for tripping\said catch, a stop for holding said l3 drop-armQ- a pivoted lever for controlling said stop` a rotating cam for opcratingthe lever, and means t'or setting-,the cam to predetermined times.`

5. In an electric time-switch, the combina- 9o tion of a circuit-breaker, an arm for operating the saine, a'crank under normal rotary pressure for controlling said arm, a cross-arm for controlling said crank, a catch for hoTding and releasing said arm, a drop-arnrfm 95 tripping said catch. a stop f or holding said drop-arm, a pirated lever 1'):- controlling said stop, a rotating cani 'for operating thc lever, means for setting the cam 1o predeternliined times, and means controlled bfv the'cross-arm |00 for throwing said drop-arm up to its stop again.

(3. ln an cleciric time-switch. the. Combination oi a circnit-in'eaker. an arm for opi-rating the. saine, a crank under normal rotary 105 pressure forcontmlling said arm, across-arm for controlling said crank` a catch for hohling and releasing said arm. a drop-arm i'or tripping said catch, a stop for holding-said drop-arm.v a pivot-cd lever for controlling said. l stop, a rotating cani for operating thelcver.

- and arlock mechanism to drivethc shaft. l

T. ln an electric tin'ic-switch, the combination ol' a circuitbreaker, an arm t'or operating the saine, a crank under normal rotary pressure for controlling said arm, a cross-arm for controlling said crank, a catch for holding 1 and releasing said arm, adrop-arm for tripping said catch, a stop for holding said droii-arni. a pivoteil. lever for controllingsaidvstop` n rotating cani l'oropcrating the lever, an adjustable setting-disk carrying said cani, a dial 1o govern (hc :id instnnznt of said disl\',a rotating shaft carrying the. disk and dial, a clock mechanisln to drirc lhc shaft, and means controlled ing on said rock-arm and adapted by its rotaltion to p ermit and effect the rocking of said t tion of a circuit-breaker which includes ver-- on said shaft, a catch for releasing the cross-` arm and holding it again at a half-rotation,- a

l tion .of a circuit-breaker which includes ver- 4 lin'gon said rock-arm and adapted by its rotal.as

` extremity the ou ter and inner separated stops 'tically'fmovable contacts, a pivoted gravity 'on said shaft, a catch for releasing the cross- -arm and holding it again at a half-rotation,l

ing on said rock-arni and adapted by its rotameans for disengaging said stop at ,predetermined times.

sa f 783,711 Y 8, In ane ectric time-switch', ,theeombina tion of a circuit-breaker which includes verrock-arm carrying said contacts, acrank beararm, a spring-controlled shaft carrying said crank and eiecting its rotation, a cross-arm and means for tripping said catch at predetermined-times. I

9. In an electric-timc-sivitch, thecombnatically .-movable contacts, a pivoted gravity rock-arm carryingsaid contacts, a crank beartion to. permit and effect the rocking of said arm, `a spring-'controlled shaft carrying said crank and e'iecting its rotation, a cross-arm drop-arm for tripping said catch, a stop for flO., In an electric time-switchthe combinatically-movablefcontacts, a pivoted gravity. rock-arm carrying said contacts, a crank beartion to permit and effect the rocking of said arm, "a Spring-#controlled shaft carrying s aid. crank and effecting its rotation, a cross-arm 'on said shaft, a catch for releasing the cross' arm andholding it again at a half-rotation, adrop-arm for ltripping said catch, a stop for holding said drop-arm, means for releasing thedrop-arm at predetermined times, and lugs on the cross-arm for throwing the 'droparm up to its stop again. 1 y

11. In an electric timc-switch. -and i'n combination with a circuit-breaker and means under normal rotary pi-cssuijc for operating it, a cross-arm rotated bysaid means, said arm having laterally-extending lugs, a catch for controlling the rotation of said cross-arm and limiting it to a half-revolution, a drop-arm adaptedto trip said catch, said arm playing in the path of the lugs of the cross-arm whereby the drop-arm is thrown up again t'o its first position, a stop to hold said drop-arm up, and

'12. ln an electric time-switch, and in combination with a 'circuit-breaker and means for l operating it which include a rotatable cross- -arm and a catch for controlling said arm, a

drop-arm fortripping said catch, means on thc cross-arm for throwing said drop-arm up to normal position, a pivoted lever having on its for engaging and releasing said drop-arm, and

means for swinging said lever at predeterminedtiines to release and rengage the droparm. 'i

13. In an electric time-switch, and in combination with a circuit-breaker and means for operating it which include a rotatable cross- 7o arm and a catch forA controlling said arm, a

drop-arm for tripping said catch, means on the cross-arm for throwing said drop-arm up to normal position. a pivotedlever having on stops'for engaging and releasing said droparm, said lever having a forked opposite end, a setting-disk. having a cani playing in the forked end of the lever` to swing it, a dial: by

`its extremity the outer and inner separated which the disk isset to predetermined times, 8o

a shaft carrying the disk and dial, and a clock mechanism to drive the shaft. A 1

14. In an' electric time-switch, the combination of a circuit-breaker, means under normal controlling said means, a catch controllingsaid .rotary pressure for operating it, a cross-arm arm, a pair of drop-arms for independently releasing the catch,.stops'for independently holding and releasing said arms, and means independently adjustable for separately re- 9o leasing said stdps to drop the arms independently at predetermined separate times.

15. In an electric time-switch, the combination of a circuit-breaker, means under normal rotary pressure for operating it, a cross-arm 95 controlling said means, a catch controlling said arm, a pair of drop-arms for independently. releasingthe catch, stops for independently holding and releasing said arms, and

means independently adjustable for separately i 0o releasing said stops to drop the arms independently at predetermined separate times comprising separate levers, setting-disks independently adjustable, a cam on each disk to operate said levers, a dial to which said disks are adjusted from opposite sides, a'shaft cai"- rying the disks and dial, and a clock mechanism to drive the shaft.

' lo." In an electric time-switch, the combination of a circi'iit-breaker, means under normal i 10 rotary pressure for operating it, a cross-arm controlling said means,- a catch controlling said arm, a pair of drop-arms for independently releasing'thc catch, stops for independently holding and releasing said arms, lugs on the cross-arm for throwing said drop-arms up again to their stops, and means independently adjustable for separately releasing said' stops to drop the arms independently at' pre-,t determined separate times.

17. In an electric tiiiie-switch, the combination of a circuit-brealr, means iindcr normal rotary pressure for operating it, a cross-arm controlling said means, a catch controlling said arm, a lpair of diop-ariiis for independently releasing the catch, stops for independently holding and relcii:-iii'ig said arms, lugs on the cross-arm for throwing said drop-arms determined separate times comprising separate levers, setting-disks independently adjustable, a cani on ea'ch disk to operate said levers, u dialto which said disks are adjusted from opposite sides, a Shaft carrying the disks a up again to their stops, and means independ-l and dial, and a lock nleclmnisn Lu lx-ive llw ently adjustable for separately releasingsaid shaft. lo stops to drop thearms independently :it pre- In witness whereof l lmijc lien-imm sot my -liand 1 Y CHARLES Ji SULLIVAN. Witnesses:

1). M. BURNE'mg JOHN E. ANDERSON. 

